untitledlullaby's review
4.0
This doesn’t really stand the test of time but the writings good and some stories are really good some are just okay.
billybookmark's review against another edition
4.0
a lot of these stories centered around a bet which suited someone like me whos partial to a little paddy power
man from the south, dip in the pool and skin were personal favourites
thankfully dahl's anti semitism only shone with the story of hitler's miraculous birth
man from the south, dip in the pool and skin were personal favourites
thankfully dahl's anti semitism only shone with the story of hitler's miraculous birth
somelatenightreading's review
4.0
Read 2023: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-Madame Rosette: ⭐️⭐️
-Man from the South: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
-The Sound Machine: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
-Taste: ⭐️⭐️.5
-Dip in the Pool: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-Skin: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-Edward the Conqueror: ⭐️⭐️
-Lamb to the Slaughter: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-Galloping Foxley: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-The Way Up to Heaven: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-Parson's Pleasure ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-The Landlady: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
-William and Mary: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
-Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-Royal Jelly: ⭐️⭐️.5
-Georgy Porgy: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
-Genesis and Catastrophe: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-Pig ⭐️⭐️
-The Visitor: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
-Claud's Dog, The Ratcatcher: ⭐️⭐️ (just plain cruel)
-Claud's Dog, Rummins: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
-Claud's Dog, Mr. Hoddy: ⭐️⭐️
-Claud's Dog, Mr. Feasey: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
-Clauds Dog, Champion of the World: ⭐️⭐️
-The Great Switcheroo: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-The Boy Who Talked with Animals: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-The Hitchhiker: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-The Bookseller: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-Madame Rosette: ⭐️⭐️
-Man from the South: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
-The Sound Machine: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
-Taste: ⭐️⭐️.5
-Dip in the Pool: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-Skin: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-Edward the Conqueror: ⭐️⭐️
-Lamb to the Slaughter: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-Galloping Foxley: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-The Way Up to Heaven: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-Parson's Pleasure ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-The Landlady: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
-William and Mary: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
-Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-Royal Jelly: ⭐️⭐️.5
-Georgy Porgy: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
-Genesis and Catastrophe: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-Pig ⭐️⭐️
-The Visitor: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
-Claud's Dog, The Ratcatcher: ⭐️⭐️ (just plain cruel)
-Claud's Dog, Rummins: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
-Claud's Dog, Mr. Hoddy: ⭐️⭐️
-Claud's Dog, Mr. Feasey: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
-Clauds Dog, Champion of the World: ⭐️⭐️
-The Great Switcheroo: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-The Boy Who Talked with Animals: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-The Hitchhiker: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-The Bookseller: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
kricketa's review
4.0
excellent fun.
first read: january 2010
second read (skipping around to re-read my favorites): december 2019 for Roald Dahl book club
first read: january 2010
second read (skipping around to re-read my favorites): december 2019 for Roald Dahl book club
thisotherbookaccount's review
4.0
Some stories work and others don't, simple as that.
The thing about short story collections is that there will always be a handful of stories you don't connect with as a reader, thus preventing the book from reaching a full 5/5 score. To this date, I have never read a single short story collection that's perfect all the way through. Every one of them comes with a rotten apple or two, no matter how good the author is.
What makes them so readable, however, is that you can simply skip to the next story in the line-up. Anthologies are like those gashapon machines in that you never quite know what the next story is going to be. The exciting part is that each story is a snippet of the author's imagination, and reading these books is like sitting through a degustation menu. You want the author to surprise you.
The Best of Roald Dahl is that way also. Of course there are some stinkers here, but it is a solid collection of short stories nonetheless. What I love about it is that there is this other side of Dahl that I was not aware of. Like most people, we tend to associate him with children's stories — and for good reasons too. I grew up with Matilda, The Witches and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on my bookshelf, and they continue to be wonderful gateway books for children. Finding out that Dahl has this OTHER (darker) side, naturally, was a surprise — and mostly a delightful one.
Here are the stories that worked for me:
1. Man from the South
2. Galloping Foxley
3. The Way Up to Heaven
4. The Landlady
5. William and Mary
6. Lamb to the Slaughter
7. The Visitor
8. The Great Switcheroo
9. Skin
If I had to come up with a reason why these stories worked for me, it'd be the fact that they are self-contained. You get a sense that these stories can be easily expanded, but they still work on their own, with a beginning, middle and end. The stories that didn't work as well for me don't seem to share that characteristic, however. Take The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, for example. That story sets itself up for something interesting, but then trails off into, I don't know, a non-ending? The titular character learns the ability to see through poker cards, goes around various casinos around the world to cheat money, then gives all of his winnings to orphanages — and tat's it! The story ends, and you don't feel like there's a proper ending. It just kinda fizzles out.
At its worst, this book is still better than many other collections that I have read.
The thing about short story collections is that there will always be a handful of stories you don't connect with as a reader, thus preventing the book from reaching a full 5/5 score. To this date, I have never read a single short story collection that's perfect all the way through. Every one of them comes with a rotten apple or two, no matter how good the author is.
What makes them so readable, however, is that you can simply skip to the next story in the line-up. Anthologies are like those gashapon machines in that you never quite know what the next story is going to be. The exciting part is that each story is a snippet of the author's imagination, and reading these books is like sitting through a degustation menu. You want the author to surprise you.
The Best of Roald Dahl is that way also. Of course there are some stinkers here, but it is a solid collection of short stories nonetheless. What I love about it is that there is this other side of Dahl that I was not aware of. Like most people, we tend to associate him with children's stories — and for good reasons too. I grew up with Matilda, The Witches and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on my bookshelf, and they continue to be wonderful gateway books for children. Finding out that Dahl has this OTHER (darker) side, naturally, was a surprise — and mostly a delightful one.
Here are the stories that worked for me:
1. Man from the South
2. Galloping Foxley
3. The Way Up to Heaven
4. The Landlady
5. William and Mary
6. Lamb to the Slaughter
7. The Visitor
8. The Great Switcheroo
9. Skin
If I had to come up with a reason why these stories worked for me, it'd be the fact that they are self-contained. You get a sense that these stories can be easily expanded, but they still work on their own, with a beginning, middle and end. The stories that didn't work as well for me don't seem to share that characteristic, however. Take The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, for example. That story sets itself up for something interesting, but then trails off into, I don't know, a non-ending? The titular character learns the ability to see through poker cards, goes around various casinos around the world to cheat money, then gives all of his winnings to orphanages — and tat's it! The story ends, and you don't feel like there's a proper ending. It just kinda fizzles out.
At its worst, this book is still better than many other collections that I have read.
gitanita's review against another edition
3.0
First, I'd like to say that I expected something completely different. I didn't know (and still don't) a first thing about Dahl's works and the genre he wrote. Looking at the cover of this book, I thought he maybe wrote something more for the children (taking a better look, again, I do not know what I was thinking). I also vaguely remember him as the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, of which I've seen the movie adaptation with Johnny Depp and loved it.
This collection is creepy, to put things mildly. Some stories are a bit on the boring side, some downright unreadably boring, some interesting, but all with a creepy twist, or maybe macabre is a better word. So, if you are into that kind of a story, I would recommend this book, and if not, steer clear because some of the stories really leave a bad taste in your mouth.
This collection is creepy, to put things mildly. Some stories are a bit on the boring side, some downright unreadably boring, some interesting, but all with a creepy twist, or maybe macabre is a better word. So, if you are into that kind of a story, I would recommend this book, and if not, steer clear because some of the stories really leave a bad taste in your mouth.
sgvakharia's review
dark
funny
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
megmoggs's review against another edition
5.0
Now this was truly legendary. Roald Dahl was my favourite author when I was younger, and he still kinda is. His stories are short but extremely effective. They're innocent and cute, but at the same time dark and sinister.
They all have a hidden message, and are an amazing read for everyone, no matter the age. This man is truly a legend, and his works are a classic.
-Zanthie ;)
They all have a hidden message, and are an amazing read for everyone, no matter the age. This man is truly a legend, and his works are a classic.
-Zanthie ;)